


In it for the End Game

by Naumaxia



Category: Naruto
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Gai is honest but confused, KakaGai - Freeform, Kakashi is an emotional wreck, M/M, Slow Burn, both are complete softies, gaikaka, well slightly slow anyway
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-13 23:20:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28536540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Naumaxia/pseuds/Naumaxia
Summary: The story of how Kakashi and Gai eventually got together river the course of many years of confusion and slightly idiotic decisions.Including:First DateFirst KissFirst HeartbreakAnd more...
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Maito Gai | Might Guy, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 41





	1. The First Date

**Author's Note:**

> It’s been 3 years since I last wrote a fic/series about how Kakashi and Gai would have gotten together in the canon universe, so here’s my latest attempt at describing such events, hope you enjoy :)

Kakashi Hatake was a complicated person. He had a complicated past and a complicated relationship with pretty much everyone he knew. But for the first time in a long while his life was starting to resemble something more normal. Naruto had been off training with Jiraiya for almost 2 years and while the loss of his genin team had hurt him, it was one of the lesser losses of his life. Besides he still got to see Sakura occasionally and he liked to use her progress and enthusiasm as reassurance that he hadn’t been the worst teacher of all time. One out of three was a decent survival ratio in the world he came from after all. And Naruto wasn’t gone forever hopefully.   
But it had been a while since he had left, and life was normal. For the first time in many years he was just a normal shinobi. Normal missions, normal amounts of pain, normal friendships, sort of... people often forgot that he was only just starting to stitch himself together again when he became a sensei for the first time. Even now he had only just started to get over some of the smaller losses, only just started to fight the urge to run any time someone tried to care about him. He did occasionally sit down with the other jonin when bribed properly though, realising that having some friends would probably be a smart idea in this world. And all this normal-ness was probably why he had agreed to that damn date in the first place. 

It had been an average evening, and he was sat with Kurenai, Asuma and some of the others, having a chilled round of drinks.   
“-and that is when I decided I was never eating broccoli again!” Asuma declared, finishing up a story that Kakashi hadn’t really been listening to properly.  
“I can’t say I blame you,” Kurenai chuckled.   
“Would like to see one of you top that for a crazy ex,” Asuma grinned back.   
“You got me beat,” Kurenai resigned.   
“I had a girl once break every dish in my apartment,” Ebisu offered.   
“What ever for?” Asuma asked, raising an eyebrow quizzically at him.  
“I may have accidentally electrocuted her cat...” he confessed.  
“Idiot,” Kakashi mumbled under his breath.   
“Oh really?” Ebisu sneered. “What makes you such a master of relationships then?”  
“Oh come on,” Kurenai laughed, “we all know Kakashi’s never come close to anything romantic.”  
“Why I disagree!” Gai declared loudly. “I would bet my Rival has dated many a lovely lady in his time. I would expect nothing less!”   
Kakashi winced and rubbed the bridge of his nose in despair. “Actually no.” He said bluntly, wishing the floor would eat him up.   
“Of course you have!” Gai laughed. “I know you are a very private person, but if even I have been on a date you must have been on 20 at the least! Fear not Rival, what you tell us here shall remain a secret.” He winked obnoxiously, and Kakashi stopped himself from smiling.   
“You’ve had a girlfriend?” Kakashi asked, trying to hide his surprise. While he was grateful for the change of subject, something about this new information didn’t quite sit right with him.   
“Erm not quite?” Gai smiled sheepishly. “But I did once try date this nice civilian lad I met. I think I was a bit too much for him though.” Kakashi’s heart skipped a slight beat, and he almost didn’t notice Genma handing a small wad of cash to Ebisu under the table. He couldn’t claim he had never wondered about Gai, but his own enjoyment at the revelation took him slightly by surprise.   
“Ah tough luck,” Kurenai comforted Gai with a knowing smile. “At least you’re still doing better than Mr. Icha Icha over here.” She nodded in Kakashi’s direction and he found himself sinking further into his chair.   
“Sorry did you say something?” He asked pretending to tune into the conversation.   
“Ah such a cool attitude!” Gai declared with a grin, “I am sure it cannot be too hard to find you a date! Why a challenge!”  
“Please no.” Kakashi objected weakly.  
“If I can find you an acceptable girl to date before you find one for yourself, then I win!” Gai jumped out of his seat and headed towards the door.  
“I uh-“ Kakashi started, hesitating slightly before deciding to get it over with. “I don’t date girls.”  
“You don’t date anyone apparently.” Asuma pointed out.  
“It’s hard to find many people with shared life experience.” He replied pointedly. The comment hung in the air for a brief second, each jonin dwelling on the people that hadn’t made it this far.   
“Well we have shared life experience.” Gai noted, “I’ve known you longer than anyone. We’ve gone through most of our lives together as rivals!”  
Asuma smirked and looked pointedly at Ebisu.  
“You’re right Gai,” he said with a grin on his face. “Hey here’s a thought...”  
“We should go on a date!” Gai declared, reaching Asuma’s point before him, and beaming at Kakashi with an openly nervous anticipation. Kakashi wondered (not for the first time) how Gai managed to survive this long as a shinobi, given he was quite so easy to read.   
“And I think that is enough drinks for one night.” He said firmly standing up and heading for the door. “See you later.”  
“Rival wait!” Gai dashed out onto the street behind him and caught his wrist. “I’m serious, why not give it a try?” He asked in a much softer tone than usual.  
Something in Kakashi’s heart melted a little bit, and he slowly shook his head in disbelief of himself.   
“I suppose it would make for an interesting story,” he conceded. “Tomorrow, 8pm.” He said quietly, knowing he was much better at hiding emotions, but still hoping Gai wouldn’t notice how fast his heart seemed to be running.   
“A date it is!”

And that was how he ended up sat on the floor of his apartment at 7.45 pm, half way through a minor existential crisis and feeling like a 12 year old child. Well not quite, when he was 12 years old he had had no patience for any sort of romantic silliness, but he supposed he now felt like he should have felt when he was 12. He felt how Sakura acted at any rate. Why was he letting himself get so worked up over one silly date? It was more of a competition than anything else. It wasn’t like Gai actually expected anything from tonight, it was just for fun. To prove that Kakashi could go on a date like a normal person. Although he supposed that not being able to pick an outfit did count as pretty normal, so maybe the panic wasn’t all bad. Besides Gai would probably still be in his jumpsuit so he didn’t need to worry about being underdressed. After much deliberation he chose a pair of jeans and a soft blue knitted jumper, that somehow made him feel a little smarter than usual. He rolled the sleeves up to his elbows and briefly contemplated brushing his hair before deciding that was probably a futile effort.   
He met Gai on the corner of the main street and nearly walked straight past him. Gai had his back turned, clearly checking himself out in a window reflection, and it took Kakashi a full minute to realise who he was, and another minute to remember he was meant to do more than just stare. Instead of the usual vibrant jump suit, Gai had a relatively normal dark green button up shirt on, with orange cuffs to add a little bit of his usual flare.   
“Gai?” He tapped him on the shoulder.  
“Ah Kakashi,” Gai smiled, a slightly puzzled look on his face. It was strange as well to hear Gai use his name instead of just yelling ‘Rival’ at him. He wasn’t so sure if he liked it.   
“We’re you not expecting me?” Kakashi teased lightly.   
“Well you are not exactly known for your punctuality now are you rival? I mean Kakashi.” He laughed lightly and shook his head in what might have been embarrassment.  
“True,” Kakashi agreed, then pausing for a moment asked, “why do you keeping calling me by name?”   
“Well it’s only proper,” Gai said. “After all we are not rivals, we are on a date, and should behave as such.” Gai tugged on his sleeve and they started walking down the street toward the restaurant he had picked.   
“So how is proper to behave on a date?” Kakashi asked, enjoying the evening already despite himself. “You are the expert after all.”  
“Do I get a point for that?” Gai asked a glimmer appearing in his eye.   
“Not in the slightest.” Kakashi reprimanded. “Can’t have you winning points just because I know how to keep it in my pants.”  
“Rival-!” Gai exclaimed in protest. “I mean Kakashi...”  
“Oh call me whatever you like.” Kakashi reassured him.  
They soon arrived at the restaurant and were seated at a cute little window table with a small candle flickering on it. It was very romantic and very subtle, not at all like he had expected from Gai. A couple of the wait staff gave the pair a strange and nervous look but other than that he could imagine that he really was on a first date with someone.  
“This is... wow” he murmured.   
“Do you like it?” Gai asked holding his chair out for him, completely unnecessary but kind of sweet.  
“Yes it’s very nice.” Kakashi admitted with a smile. “Not very ‘you’ though?”  
“Well I thought this would be more proper.” Gai admitted.  
“Proper?” Kakashi scoffed. “Go on then what’s a proper conversation for a date like this?”  
“Well...” Gai stopped to think for a moment, “usually mostly small talk. But we already know each other quite well so I suppose there are few options.” Kakashi made a face at the thought of small talk. “If you were someone new,” Gai continued, “I would ask about your family, or your hobbies. Maybe tell you a funny story from my childhood.”  
“I don’t have any funny stories from then.” Kakashi reminded him bluntly.   
“That was really just an example.” Gai pointed out. “We can talk about anything.”  
“Anything?”   
“Sure,” Gai grinned at him encouragingly.   
“Are you always like this on dates?” Kakashi asked. “Always so ‘proper’?”  
“Pretty much,” Gai shrugged. “Like I said I scare people off.”  
“You think I’m scared of you?” Kakashi laughed with a raised eyebrow.  
“Never, Rival!” Gai responded, seeming to return to his usual energetic self a bit.  
“Good,” Kakashi smiled softly.   
“May I ask something rival?” Gai’s voice was more uncertain again.  
“Um, sure?”  
“Why haven’t you ever been on a date before?” He asked somewhat apologetically.   
“I never really had the time.” Kakashi confessed. And then after a few moments hesitation added, “I don’t like the idea of people getting attached to me. You know what tends to happen.”  
Gai nodded solemnly and then smiled at him, “well I’m still here.” He winked, “you aren’t getting rid of me that easily!”  
“I’m glad you’re here Gai,” Kakashi admitted before he could properly stop himself, and then smiled a little. It was nice to see Gai grinning back at him, knowing he was valued. He liked putting that look onto Gai’s face.   
“You know what?” Gai declared suddenly springing up from his seat. “Let’s get out of here!”  
“Um, ok?” Kakashi laughed.  
Gai paused and looked a tad sheepish, “if you don’t mind me being a little less proper that is?”  
“Let’s go,” Kakashi reassured him, standing up.   
“I’ll race you!” Gai declared and started sprinting down the Main Street. Having absolutely no idea where he was going, Kakashi followed instead of putting up any kind of objection. 

They soon left the neatly arranged streets for more dusty tracks, leading across the training fields and into the surrounding woodland. Gai finally came to a halt in a small meadow bordered by a stream. It was very idyllic, and Kakashi made a mental note to come back here to read at some point.  
“I win,” Gai teased at once, and instead of huffing or complaining Kakashi just shrugged it off with a laugh.   
“Where are we?” He asked instead.   
“One of my favourite places,” Gai responded with a smile. “I’ve always liked it here because... well because it reminded me of you Rival.”  
“Me?”  
“It’s quiet, and calm,” Gai observed, “and yet somehow a bit mysterious, and-“ he paused and then shrugged, “and it’s really beautiful.”  
Kakashi looked awkwardly at the floor and tried to calm the many butterflies fluttering around in his stomach.   
“I like it,” he said simply with a smile. “You know I never would have guessed it but you’ve got moves Gai,” he smirked at his friend. “I’m surprised that boy of yours didn’t come back for seconds.   
“I couldn’t seem to charm him with my handsome features as well as I have with you,” Gai teased back, and Kakashi shook his head slightly.   
“Now I can’t possibly agree with that,” he stated, “you’ll get even more big headed than you already are.”  
“I’m sure I can convince you of my charms in time my Rival!”  
“If you haven’t already,” Kakashi mumbled under his breath.  
“Sorry?” Gai looked confused, “I couldn’t hear that?”  
“Oh never mind.” He sat down and dipped his toes in the river, patting the ground next to him as an invitation for Gai to join him. “How did you find this place?”  
“I uh...” Gai seemed to regress back to his awkward ‘proper’ self. “I got lost following your anbu squad once.” He admitted.  
“Whatever were you doing that for?” Kakashi asked amazed.  
“I wanted to see what it was really like for you.” He said quietly. “Before I decided to ask Lord Third to remove you from it.”  
“Oh,” Kakashi pulled his knees up to his chest and thought back to those days. He had never known back then just how much Gai was looking out for him. Or maybe he had known. Maybe that’s what had kept him going long enough to get out, in the back of his mind he always knew Gai was waiting for him.   
“Sorry,” Gai apologised.   
“Don’t be,” Kakashi tentatively put one hand on top of Gai’s. “I’m sorry you went to all that trouble.”  
“Think nothing of it Rival!” Gai declared happily. And it was at this moment that Kakashi realised that maybe Gai was good at hiding his emotions. There was something he couldn’t quite grasp, something bitter sweet about that smile. Instead of pointing this out though, he just leaned against Gai’s side.   
Slowly and awkwardly he felt Gai wrap and arm around him, constantly looking to check if it was ok. Kakashi grabbed a hold of Gai’s hand and pulled it around himself. He closed his eyes and stopped just to listen to the sound of Gai’s breathing, the faint beat of his heart, feel his warmth on his shoulder. All the things he would want to remember one day. 

When he opened his eyes he was greeted by flickering daylight and a soft breeze. He glanced to one side and felt his insides jump at the realisation that his rival was still there. Not that this should have been a surprise, he had done plenty of missions with Gai before, and woken up next to him a number of times. But this was different he supposed, Gai had chosen to stay.   
“Good morning rival,” Gai smiled, catching Kakashi staring.   
“Um, good morning,” he responded awkwardly. “What happened?” He queried, stretching in the sun.  
“You fell asleep and I figured it would be rude to wake you,” Gai said simply, “my conversation must have been very boring to you I suppose.”  
“No I-“ Kakashi started to defend himself before noticing a smile slip onto Gai’s face. “Idiot,” he mumbled, more directed at himself than Gai.   
The pair dusted themselves off, and Gai offered to walk Kakashi home. A tad unnecessary perhaps, but he wasn’t going to complain at an excuse to extend this date just a little longer. 

“I really enjoyed this time together, rival.” Gai said happily as they walked.   
“It was... good, yeah.” Kakashi agreed, smiling at the floor. “Why did you ask me out in the first place?” He asked, suddenly feeling nervous again. “It didn’t win you any points for the competition you know?”  
“I genuinely wanted to.” Gai said simply. “Asuma just finally gave me a good excuse to ask. I uh, I would like to do so again sometime, if you would let me?” They smiled slightly at each other for a moment.  
“That would be nice.” Kakashi agreed. “But I-,”   
“I understand.” Gai said calmly.  
“Gai... I-“ he started, before stopping in his tracks and staring at the floor. “You know my life story, perhaps I’m being melodramatic, we all lost people, but I didn’t ever really let go of all that stuff, you know? I’m still trying to work out how to let go of it, and I just...” he took a moment and closed his eyes to try and work out how to verbalise his thoughts.  
“Kakashi?” Gai’s voice seemed concerned, but he didn’t dare look up to find out.   
“You know what... yeah, let’s do this again.” He mumbled, smiling the tiniest bit. Maybe this was the first real step. As much as he tried to deny it he had known for a long time now that he had let himself get attached to Gai. Maybe it wasn’t too far to stretch to openly admitting that to some people.  
“Really?” Suddenly Gai was buzzing with energy again. “I promise I will not let you down my Rival! The next date shall be even better than this one!”  
“Glad to hear that,” Kakashi chuckled away his own embarrassment. “Goodbye Gai.”  
“Until Tomorrow my dearest Rival.”


	2. The First Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it’s been a little while since I last remembered to update this, so apologies, I will try not be so slow in the future, enjoy :)

For one reason or another that second date of theirs kept getting pushed back. First it was just overlapping missions, then Naruto came back, and then chaos seemed to ensue as it usually did around Naruto. And a small part of Kakashi wasn’t ready for Naruto and Sakura to find out about Gai yet. Not that he was embarrassed by Gai, but as Gai put it, he was a very private person, and now Gai was one of the more private parts of his life. Besides Naruto didn’t really know how to keep his mouth shut and public relationships were certainly not a good idea for shinobi. As more time passed Kakashi started to wonder if he and Gai could even be considered a thing, of any description. One date didn’t exactly equate to a relationship. 

When Kakashi got back from the Kazekage rescue mission though, life calmed down a little. Mostly just because he had managed to hospitalise himself again, not that he regretted it. Getting blown to smitherines by Deidara would not have been ideal for any of them, although he’d be lying if he said his first thought hadn’t been protecting Gai. It was one of the few times he hadn’t felt quite so rotten to be lying in a hospital, he still hated the damn place, but this time wasn’t as bad he guessed. 

The nights slowly passed and his team left without him to meet with Sasuke, and it made a part of him feel kind of empty. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Tenzo to keep them safe, he did, but he didn’t like the idea that they didn’t need him. The world was heating back up again and it was stirring up some memories. He was better these days, and didn’t fall apart as often as he used to, but there were still moments that he couldn’t help but feel like he was set apart from the world a little. 

He was just about able to move by now and so decided to annoy the medics and slip out his window. He only had enough energy to mask his chakra signature to the end of the street, and grumbled to himself knowing someone would probably find him and drag him back to the hospital wing soon enough. And they wouldn’t be wrong to do so, he was already finding he had to push one hand against the wall to keep himself standing upright. Slowly though he shuffled along the street until he found himself at the memorial stone.   
He sat down on the floor and closed his eyes. He didn’t really know what to say to them today, just that he needed to be there. When he concentrated he could sense a presence somewhere in the woods behind him, but without exerting himself he couldn’t pinpoint its exact location. He sighed and waited for whoever it was to come take him back, and secretly hoped it wasn’t Tsunade, but no one came. After a couple more minutes he called out to them.   
“I know you’re there.” He said simply.  
“Nothing gets past you my Rival!” the response came from his left somewhere, and Kakashi smiled to himself.  
“Gai,” he said softly.  
“Sorry to intrude,” Gai sat down a few meters away from him, just out of his sight line. “I sensed you walk past and was worried.”  
“What are you doing awake at this time of night?” Kakashi asked.  
“Ah nothing much,” Gai brushed the question off. “I can disappear again if you like?” He offered. “Although if you need help making it back to the hospital just call me.” The way he said it wasn’t mocking like Kakashi might have expected, but soft and concerned.   
“Stay?” Kakashi asked uncertainly, staring resolutely forwards.   
“Of course.”   
They sat in silence together for a while and Kakashi tried to think of something that would lift the heaviness he could feel inside. He tried to explain it away, or remind himself that he was ok and this was nothing compared to what he had felt in the past, but he knew deep down it wouldn’t work. He would stay up too late, not get enough sleep and then in the morning he would be too tired to worry anymore. That was how this usually went. 

“Thank you, Gai,” he said after a little while.   
“Huh? For what?” Gai asked.  
“For caring I suppose,” he offered after a while. “Almost everyone I know would try to rehospitalise me.”  
“You must think me very stupid then,” Gai laughed, “I know you far too well to try that. Besides, you looked like you needed a break.”  
Kakashi smiled to himself again and decided to lean back and lie down, the effort to even sit up straight seeming to much. He supposed this was why people like Tsunade got so mad at him for running away. Instead of the grass though, he first hit someone’s shoulder. Gai had evidently moved forwards without him noticing, and instead of trying to move again he simply leaned into him. Gai moved one arm around him in a sort of half hug, and he couldn’t help but curl into Gai, resting his head on Gai’s chest.   
“I don’t suppose you want to talk about it.” Gai offered with a knowing tone to his voice.   
“Nothing happened.” Kakashi replied. “Just felt broken.”  
“I get it,” Gai said quietly, hugging Kakashi in closer.   
“I’m sorry we never got that second date.” Kakashi said.   
“It’s never too late.”  
“You mean that?” Kakashi looked up at him solemnly. Gai nodded, and Kakashi smiled. Then used a small amount of energy to lift his head up and place a quick kiss on Gai’s lips.   
“Oh,” Gai breathed.  
Kakashi, suddenly embarrassed stared resolutely at the floor and tried not to blush. “I’m sorry that was probably really awful,” he apologised.   
“Not at all,” Gai assured him. “You can do that whenever you like.” He laughed and Kakashi felt his ears turn red. But he smiled awkwardly and looked up again, winning a smile in return.   
Very slowly he reached a hand up and pulled his mask off his face, before running that same hand through Gai’s hair.   
“I never would have guessed you were quite so handsome,” Gai observed, and Kakashi fought the urge to bury his face in Gai’s chest again. “You look just like-“  
“I know,” Kakashi interrupted before he could say a name.   
“Sorry,” Gai apologised and took his hand.  
“Gai...” Kakashi murmured before reaching up and kissing him again, properly this time. It was a little messy, Kakashi really had no clue what he was doing, and both of them were smiling a little too much for it to get serious. But when they parted Kakashi’s heart was beating a million times a minute, for the right reasons for once, and he found himself laughing without even worrying if it was out of character.   
“Not bad for a first attempt,” Gai critiqued with a grin that whispered ‘competition!’. Kakashi laughed again and curled back into Gai’s side.   
“Worth the wait,” he whispered pulling his mask back into place. Then more miserably commented, “I should probably get back... they’ll know I’m missing by now.”  
Gai nodded in agreement, and before Kakashi had time to argue, picked him up in one sweep and started to carry him back to the hospital. They hadn’t even made it halfway when Kakashi felt his eye droop shut and he fell asleep in Gai’s arms once more.

**Author's Note:**

> More chapters coming soon :)   
> Critiqued and suggestions are always welcome


End file.
